By: Natasha Archary
Two of Liverpool’s frontmen will go head to head in the AFCON final when Egypt vs Senegal on Sunday, 6 February.
Both Mohammad Salah and Sadio Mane will be looking to give their home side a victory.
Egypt last won the tournament in 2010, while Senegal are hopeful this is finally the year they take home the cup.
Senegal have made it to the final for the third time.
They lost to Algeria in the 2019 final and the stakes are high this year.
The English teammates are two of Africa’s biggest stars and have proven their weight in both class and hunger for the AFCON title.
Egypt advanced to the final after a penalty shootout against Cameroon on Thursday. Winning 3-1 on penalties, Salah didn’t need to step up to goal because Cameroon missed the first 3 goals.
The host side did dominate the game with a 78% pass accuracy and more shots on target than Egypt.
Egypt however, will need a stronger game-play against Senegal’s attacking stance.
Senegal took on Burkino Faso on Wednesday and won their semi-final fixture by 3 goals to 1.
Sadio Mane scored in the 87th minute to seal the victory.
Meanwhile, Egypt have appealed to CAF to move the final to Monday to afford them an equal and fair amount of time to train.
They argue that Senegal have had one extra day to prepare for the final.
Mane has offered to pay for Senegalese fans to fly over to Cameroon for the final.
Speaking at the post-match interview after the semi-final, Mane promised 50 fans that he will cover their costs.
The final is not so much about Egypt vs Senegal for Liverpool fans as it is about their two star players squaring off.
Liverpool supporters know the competitive nature of their formidable duo and hope the two leave their AFCON rivalry behind them when they return to the English Premier League.
Fans are waiting for their return on 10 February when Liverpool face Leicester City as the league resumes after a brief break.
Kickoff for the final is at 19h00 on Sunday.
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